Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1887-07-20
sElTn oE 4 HerAnLs aLsrnANT

Blion, The great pet elephant who has
for iwo years been on exhibition IN the
Worlds Mnaaam on WASHINGTON street,
B1slon, and previously vas q resident
Of she Central PARK menaaafie In New
York, h dead. Tbta animal ID the oldess
and bad been IN captivity longer than
any elephant ever en exhibition. Biioa
has beeu IN this countFy for sixty years.
and while be Il kn0wn 20 Be IS years
old, the probabilities are thai be was
born nearly q hundred years ago. Re-
oeatly he had suffered greatly from old
eye, and hia Efforts 20 atAnd up and re-
eelve cakes and candies ftom visitors 81
the mussuna, as he used 10, we're painful
IN the extreme. IL the last two weeks
his massive legs refused 10 support the
weight Of bis huge body. aud his a.
eempls % respond 10 the call OF bis old
trainer weEn very aaeetiue. lie would
tfy 70 raise hiuaself on his knees, and
then reaching his trunk toward biz
keeper, she huge beast wonla settle back
and moan.
Ths ola elephant had also lost he az
petite and WA growing thin. He found
d hard 10 alesp, ana lag awake Iiahis
eFeanlng and IL saoh evident pain thai
u vas decided 30 kili him. A box Of
eheoalate dFopa saturated With pow
oFful poison uaa kiven Bii9a after the
musnem closed 90 tha night Of Jane 10.
ard IN forty i've minutes the beasi
tWinsd his sEunk aHeoiionasely aFound
bic keeper and died. Biioa's body vii
be buried IN IN underground air tight
vat until decomposition is cemplete.
This viii require come nine nonlhs,
after which che boDes uiil Be separated,
bleaehed, ana then prepared, and n an
other month the skeleton viii be placed
On exhibition 81 the Wefld's Museum.
Rifou wAsan African elephaut. sixty
years aea be came 70 thia cauntFY,
aimee watch tins be had tfaveled with
nearly every circus on the road. Fwen.
" times. u ts said, hiA ownership
show Bioa would Es4 new master
When . yoangsler he WAs owned by ,
Londua tavern keeper, WHO exhibited
hln With a PAIR % iumenaa eoSillas IL
HE tavern. and from there be dFifted
across the continent. When 6as en- In
gana. PFiues Albert Of knaiand Foes
him and made him q put, bat bis aflef
life was nol 20 rleasaBt.
In 1850 he visited GcFmany with Q
pronineDt ahowman, and tFamped haek
ana fosth threaa0oui ne weird until
1873 and iNfA shen be as IN attfae-
tien ~ The Great RaateFn Clrcaa. Then
o. =. O,taf. = veil knoWn eircus man.
perohMaed hina. and later Bob FFies. 80
squeaiEtaa vita RArunm's etreus, broke
him 10 tricks.
Biioa then weas 10 California. and At
lasi drifesa bach 10 Nee Vera. Oa the
uAy haEne. IN eFuEaine q bFtdee, Risu
refused. after trying The planktnR, "
make the passaee, HE keepers. Il b
eiatussa, eoadsd him on. He took 8
fec mere etepa and pinnRed through
The reatea hoafea. HpFstnkns his ankis,
and since thea he has newer eeea him-
self.
Whila ia The CsntFal Rask uaer axesis
10 Neu Nerk. she tSent Of The Wosla's
Masaam ecueht him. That vas two
yeass ago. ana aniti wtthin three weeks
bitea Was never Cd BE feet. not eveG ts
he aown. Ne was eonsl0mea oee e TIE
6rsa trich elepkanls IN HE eesatrY. he
pAayed ave taaea on tie harp. played
The hAEmeEicA, ksee1 % hia head, ard
atd ne hcuseksepiag eastnsas Tar The
oirsas eth all The tntelliR<nee % hts
naiars. Nafine kia sickness be has beer
ted largely ca fFait. knS days alsos
anca ireiaaea iva dean Grange. fselps
leaves of bread. enc kandged aRa afly
pesnea - hay, half b1sAei 81 xFAia.
ard 4 hacAsl - shofsA
Btioa uas xaiaed 81 SNo1 srd wss
PROBABLY better kessn ttFceE beet abs
csantxy than any elSEhAnt esNR % exhi.
hittan. --Asa y avf NJ s8fG